Pakistan issues visa to Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife, mother for meeting on Christmas

Pakistan has issued visas to the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet the Indian prisoner who is on death row in a Pakistani jail, the country’s foreign office said on Wednesday.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice in The Hague in May. The ICJ halted his execution on India’s appeal pending a final verdict.

“Pakistan high commission in New Delhi issued the visas to the mother and wife of commander Jadhav to visit Islamabad to meet him, today,” foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted.

Pakistan has said that it would take care of all the security arrangements for Jadhav’s mother and sister during their visit.

Pakistan had agreed to facilitate a meeting of Jadhav with his mother and wife in Islamabad on December 25. It also agreed to India’s demand that they be accompanied by an official of the Indian high commission in Islamabad.

On last Thursday, Pakistan directed its high commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav’s wife and mother.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that such facilities were not applicable in cases related to spies.

It had said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Jadhav’s wife, who has not been named publicly, has petitioned for him to be spared the death penalty.

Pakistani authorities have not issued a final ruling on the sentence. (With inputs from agencies)